LP

¹ American  

abbreviation

1. long playing; long play:

   1. a vinyl phonograph record played at 33 1/3 rpm and typically containing seven or more tracks, or one or more long classical pieces.

   2. a full-length music album, typically comprised of ten to twelve songs: called LP as an evolution of the traditional long-playing record, albums in other formats are not known by the underlying expanded form, and identified only by the abbreviation.

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L.P. ² American  

Or l.p.

abbreviation

1. long primer.

2. low pressure.

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LP ¹ British  

noun

1. 1. a long-playing gramophone record: usually one 12 inches (30 cm) or 10 inches (25 cm) in diameter, designed to rotate at 33 1/ 3 revolutions per minute Compare EP

   2. ( as modifier )

      an LP sleeve

2. long play: a slow-recording facility on a VCR which allows twice the length of material to be recorded on a tape from that of standard play

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LP ² British  

abbreviation

1. (in Britain) Lord Provost

2. Also: lp.  low pressure

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L/P ³ British  

abbreviation

1. letterpress

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Other Word Forms

• mini-LP noun

Etymology

Origin of LP

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

But Robyn has always worked slowly, and the rest of the LP is up to her high standards.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 31, 2026

Outside the venue, a double-decker bus was parked with signage advertising the LP, which is called “The Boys of Dungeon Lane” after a road in his Liverpool hometown.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 28, 2026

For some, the LP may be gorgeous to a fault—musically, there’s very little friction or dissonance on the album, nothing harsh to dislodge you from the spell the record casts.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 24, 2026

Now through their LP “Free Spirits,” they continue to comment on the trope of the burned-out, exhausted artist who through a soul-stripping retreat can find renewal once again.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 19, 2026

Amaka went over and pulled out the LP drawer.

From "Purple Hibiscus" by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie